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General advice:

Brazilians are usually quite shocked by the way Americans dress. The question most people ask is: "Why is it that with all the money and stores that are available in the US, Americans dress as if they were poor?" Try not to perpetuate the stereotype of the badly-dressed gringo or gringa by following our advice below. If you need to, check fashion magazines and Web sites to find out what's in style and where you can purchase certain items. There are catalogs for women that sell the latest fashions in good-quality fabrics at reasonable prices.

Jeans are very popular with Brazilians of all ages, but they are normally ironed, worn with belts and do not have holes and patches on them.

For women:

Clothes:

Remember that Brazilians are very fashion conscious and follow European styles. You don't want to look dowdy or unfashionable, so avoid polyester and double-knits like the plague (unless it's the new generation of polyester fabrics and the style and cut are impeccable).

Depending on where you go in Brazil and the time of the year, you can either wear a stylish business suit (if you can afford it, go for Armani...) or a dress with a jacket. I love the look of linen and it's the perfect fabric for the tropics, but we all know what happens to linen: it wrinkles...The alternative is a really good rayon (which is called viscose in Europe and Brazil) or rayon-blend for the summer and - if you're going to São Paulo and places south where it can get quite chilly in the winter- a good light-weight wool. With the humidity, these fabrics will relax and unwrinkle themselves overnight.

Light-weight linen or cotton short-sleeved shirts are a good idea if you can have them ironed. Otherwise, I would opt for light knits in rayon. Try not to wear blouses with bows and frilly stuff...stick to crisp, elegant-looking shirts and tops. If you like your hemline above the knee, no problem. Everybody wears them and, as a matter of fact, you might be mistaken for a nun, if you don't.

Shoes:

In Rio and places north, where it gets very humid and hot, women wear dresses or short skirts with sandals to work. Depending on where you work, hose is optional. To be safe, wear hose and a pair of nice pumps the first day, then take the cue from the women around you. They are awfully friendly and will be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding dress codes and so on. Pack a good pair of sandals with a medium or "city" heel; that way you can wear them at night, too.

Makeup:

Even though it's said that Brazilian women wear more makeup than American women, most of my friends in Rio, Salvador, Recife, etc., usually go for a light powdering of the nose and a bright-colored lipstick. The reason is obvious: with that humidity, how long do you think they could keep eye-shadows, mascaras, etc. from running down their faces? The other reason is: they have a permanent tan...so who needs makeup during the day?

Advice: is then to stick with light makeup during the day and add more in the evening. Take your makeup with you in a little bag and apply it inside the air-conditioned building where you'll be conducting business or in the ladies-room at the restaurant. And yes, it's OK to wear bright-colored nail polish to go with that bright-colored lipstick, so go ahead and indulge yourself. It's not viewed as unprofessional in Brazil. It just has to be the right color for you. One thing, though: stay away from artificial nails. There's nothing more horrendously unstylish. Your own nails, even if they're short, will do just fine!

Handbags:

Take a good quality tote bag with you that zippers up - one that fits your laptop during the day and that you can wear when you go out with your Brazilian friends at night - beware of sticky fingers anywhere you go. Attaché cases are too masculine and have "foreign business woman" written all over them. I'm partial to those camping-tent canvas ones by Prada myself...They're discreet, chic and virtually indestructible. Don't carry a backpack, unless it sports a famous European label. Evening bags are only for very formal affairs.

Jewelry:

Take good quality costume jewelry: your favorite small earrings, faux pearls - if they don't look too real...-, and an inexpensive watch. Leave your real stuff at home.

Finally, a word on colors:

Brazil is a tropical country, so women tend to wear very colorful prints and bright colors. But Brazilians have a flair for colors that Americans cannot match. Sorry! So, stick to neutrals and black and white. You can't go wrong there, and, in any case, they travel well and mix and match easily. Do not wear green and yellow together: those are the colors of the Brazilian flag and look great there, but not on items of clothing.

If you're going to be in Brazil for a while, I'm sure you'll see something you can't live without. Buy it and wear it; you'll blend in with the crowd!